Cowboy in Love
by Principessa18
Summary: A new girl just moved in next to Booth. She is funny, smart and gorgeous. There's only one problem - she's only 28. Will Booth give in? A few late nights might test his strength...
1. First Sight

AN: This is slightly AU - I kind of manipulated the time. Zack is still around - Booth is a mere 35 years old - and Parker is 7 (I thought his childhood innocence would help my story better).

All I own is Mara.

"You moving in?"

I looked to where the voice had come from and saw a man in his mid-thirties walking up to me, a boy of about seven holding onto his hand. "No," I said, a smile playing on my lips, "I'm robbing the joint. Shh!" I added theatrically, "Don't tell!"

The man smiled and I was caught off-guard for a second. Never had a smile looked so good. He held out his arms and said, "Well here, let me help. You can clear the place out twice as fast."

He gestured toward the box in my hands and I said, "Don't worry about it. This is just pillows."

"I insist," he said, his smile widening.

I shrugged and handed him the box. "Thanks a lot…"

"Seeley," he said, finishing my sentence. "Seeley Booth."

"I'm Mara. Mara Graham." I turned to the boy standing next to him and asked, "What's your name?"

The boy smiled and puffed out his chest. "I'm Parker Booth! I'm six and three-quarters. This is my daddy. He works for the FBI! He's a Special Agent!"

"That's enough, bud," Seeley said, placing a hand on Parker's head and ruffling his curls. "Ms. Graham doesn't want to know my life story."

I laughed. "It's not a problem." Then I remembered the box Seeley was holding. Opening the door I said, "Here, you shouldn't have to hold that forever."

The two Booths walked into my new apartment the elder echoing me. "It's not a problem," Seeley said, another breathtaking smile upon his face.

I told Seeley he could put the box anywhere and then asked, "Can I get you anything? Water? Soda?"

"Soda!" Parkers said happily.

"Parker." Seeley reprimanded Parker in a low voice.

"Oh, please," Parker added, earning a nod and a smile from his father.

I laughed at the exchange and said, "All I have is Sprite. Is that okay?"

"That's my favorite! My daddy's too!" Parker informed me.

"Awesome!" I turned to Seeley. "Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI, can I get you a Sprite?"

Seeley smiled and said, "Sure, thank you. And please, call me 'Seeley'."

"Ok…Seeley." I tested it out, it sounded nice and felt good rolling of my tongue. "Give me a sec while I go get the drinks." I walked to the kitchen and opened up the fridge. All that I had was a 12-pack of Sprite, a half-full 6-pack of Guinness and the rest of my take-out salad from lunch. "Wow," I said softly to myself, "that's a sad commentary on my life."

"Parker and I were just about to make dinner. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."

I realized I had been louder than I thought. I turned and saw Seeley standing in the doorway of my kitchen, examining my meager rations. "It's fine," I said. "I don't want to impose, you've been more than helpful already."

"I insist," he repeated, his to-die-for smile gracing his lips again. " I always make too much and I'm sure Parker would love to have you over." Without breaking eye contact with me he yelled over his shoulder, "Park, would you like to have Ms. Graham join us for dinner?"

"Yeah!" said Parker, rushing into the kitchen. "Are you really coming over?" His wide blue eyes were full of hope.

I laughed and handed him his soda. "How could I say 'no' to that face?" I looked back to Seeley. "I'd loved to come over, and please, call me 'Mara'."

"To new neighbors!" Seeley said, holding up his Guinness – he and I had traded our sodas for something a little stronger.

"To new neighbors!" I repeated, holding up my own glass.

"To cheeseburgers!" Parker said happily, holding up his burger. We all laughed and Seeley and I hit our glasses against Parker's burger.

After Seeley had put Parker to bed he walked me two doors down the hall to my new home. "This was fun," I said. "I was afraid I wasn't going to meet anyone, I hardly new any of my old neighbors."

Seeley rolled his eyes dramatically and said with a smile, "Yeah, but they were New Yorkers. Park and I are always happy to show a little D.C. hospitality. Speaking of which," he added, handing me a piece of paper, "here's my number. Call me if you ever need anything."

"Oh, thanks," I said taking the small slip of paper. Then I took the pen that I had stuck in my hair and quickly wrote my number on his arm. "There's mine. Sorry I don't have any paper."

"Not a problem," he said, it seemed to be our catchphrase. Like a true gentleman, he opened my door for me and said, "I guess I'll see you later, Ms. Mara Graham," with a smile and an exaggerated bow.

I laughed and curtsied. "And I, you, Special Agent Seeley Booth." I walked in and closed the door reluctantly. "Bye," I said softly.

"Bye," was his simple response.


	2. The Kid Loves Tink

Mara's POV

Just as I was adjusting my wings, the doorbell rang. I grabbed my bowl of candy and opened the door. Upon opening it a cowboy and a dinosaur yelled, "Trick or treat!"

I laughed and lowered the bowl so Parker could take some candy. "You are a very scary dinosaur!" I said. "What kind are you?"

Parker smiled widely. "I'm a Parkosaurus Rex!"

"That is an amazing name!"

"What are you?" Parker asked me.

I stood up and twirled around, showing my wings and short, sparkly green dress. "I'm Tinkerbell. Obviously," I added with a smile.

"I like your costume! Do you, Daddy?"

I caught Seeley the Cowboy's eyes for the first time and he gave me a knee-buckling smile. "I do, Park. It's a nice costume." His eyes raked over me, taking in my tight dress and bare legs and a warm feeling crept over me.

"I like yours too," I said, nodding toward his cowboy costume, which was really just jeans, a flannel shirt and a cowboy hat. "Seeley the Kid?" I guessed.

Seeley laughed. "That's a good one, but I always saw myself as a good guy."

"Oh no, you're dangerous, an outlaw." As I spoke my eyes copied his. I furtively looked him up-and-down, noticing that his flannel shirt was just a bit tight, accentuating his muscles just that much more. Dragging my eyes from his biceps, I turned to Parker and asked him, "Have you guys been out long?"

"No, you're our first stop!" Everything Parker said seemed to be followed by an exclamation point; he was just so excited about everything and it put everyone who was around him in a good mood.

"Cool! Well, good luck with the rest of your stops."

"Hey," Seeley said, "what're you doing for the rest of the night?"

I gestured to the candy in my hand. "You're looking at it."

"You should come with us!" Parker piped up.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I don't want to impose."

"How many times do I have to tell you," Seeley said with a crooked smile, "you're no imposition at all."

Parker grabbed my hand and tried to pull me into the hallway. "Come with us! Please?" His big blue eyes were full of childhood wonder and I couldn't say 'no'.

"OK!" I said with a smile, ceding to his cuteness and honesty. "Just let me get my keys."

M+B

Three minutes later I was knocking on apartment doors with the Booth boys yelling, "Trick or treat!" like I was a kid again. Between doors I spoke to Seeley while Parker skipped ahead of us. "Didn't you have some work thingy tonight?" I asked.

"I did," Seeley replied, "but Rebecca is leaving tomorrow for some work thing all week and so I am going to be watching Park and she asked me if I would take him out so she could get some stuff ready. Of course I said, 'Yes,' and then told work, 'No'. I've been wanting to take him Trick-or-Treating for years. I haven't gotten to go out on Halloween with Parker since he was little and I couldn't miss it. It won't be long until he claims he's too grown-up to trick-or-treat and I want to get as many memories in as I can before that happens. What about you?" He asked, turning to me.

I shrugged. "One of the girls at the bakery is having a party, but quite frankly, I don't like her at all and I'm not really a big partier. I like giving out candy better. That is unless," I added, "I have a scary Parkosaurus and a handsome cowboy to trick-or-treat with." As soon as the words left my mouth I wanted to kick myself. I had just called him handsome! To his face! I was so stupid! I hoped he wasn't totally freaked out.

Much to my amazement, however, he replied with this: "Well, the P-Rex and I are happy to have a beautiful fairy join us." My mind was in hyperdrive – he had just called me beautiful! To my face! I didn't let my inner monologue show on my face, though. I just smiled and looked back to see Parker motioning to us to come and knock on another door with him.

M+B

Eventually we made it outside and walked around the neighborhood a little, knocking on more doors. It was relatively early, but the sun had set hours ago and I had stupidly forgotten a jacket and my short, strapless dress didn't do much to fight off the cold. Seeley must have noticed me shivering a little and unbuttoned his shirt and placed it over my wings and across my shoulders.

Amazed, I asked, "Won't you be cold?"

Seeley shook his head. "I'll be fine, plus, at least I have pants on." He gestured to my bare legs.

"Oh," I said simply. "Thanks."

"Not a problem," he said with a smile.

I pulled the shirt around me tighter – it was still warm from his body and I could smell his cologne and another smell that I couldn't identify but was unmistakably Booth-y. I quickly glanced to my right and took notice of the fact that he was wearing nothing on top but a tight undershirt. His pecs and arms were displayed in all their glory and I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning.

M+B

Later, Seeley was walking me to my door holing a very sleepy Parkosaurus in his arms. I unlocked my door and looked at Parker. "Hey, Mr. Dinosaur, can I get one more growl?"

Parker smiled and let out a sleepy, "Roar."

I laughed and held out my hand for a high five. "Nice job, Park. I think you got more candy than anyone I've ever seen." Then I turned to Seeley. "Thanks for letting me tag along. This was way more fun that the action-packed evening of candy distribution that I had planned."

"You know you're always welcome."

I walked into my apartment and waved. "Until next time, Mr. Kid."

He tipped his hat and put on a Southern accent. "Little lady."

I gave one more quiet, "Bye," and then closed the door.

As soon as the door closed I slumped against it, slightly impeded by me wings, which I realized were still covered with Seeley's shirt. I turned my head and took in a deep lungful of Seeley's scent; my eyes rolled into the back of my head as I experienced his intoxicating scent.

I slid down the door until I was sitting with my head between my knees. This night had confirmed something I had been fearing since the day I moved in: I was in love with Special Agent Seeley Booth.

Seeley's POV

I helped the fearsome and sleepy P-Rex out of his costume and into his favorite PJs and then bed. He looked at me with heavy eyes and a very drowsy smile and said, "This was the best Halloween ever. Thanks, Daddy. I love you."

I kissed his blond curls. "You're welcome, Park. I love you, too." I smiled and then walked out of his room and closed the door. Then I made a beeline for the fridge and grabbed a Guinness. I collapsed on the couch and was comforted by the familiar and unchanging sound of my Guinness opening. I ran a hand through my hair, making it even more disheveled than usual, as I thought about the last time I had had a Guinness: the night when Mara moved in.

Mara. I couldn't get her out of my head. Ever since that first night, she was all I could think of. Her smile, her laugh, her amazing pie, her body in that tiny Tinkerbell dress…

I shook my head. My son was here; I needed to keep my head on straight. After all, how traumatizing would it be if he walked out and saw me, um, 'straightening my other head'? Of their own accord, however, my thoughts inevitably turned back to Mara. She was fun, beautiful, and an all-around amazing person, but she was seven years younger than me! That was how old Parker was! When I was becoming a father she was just becoming legal to drink.

Ugh, I was far too tired to try and rationalize. Instead I decided that I would just say "To hell with it all!" and think about her as much as I wanted. And so, with my head leaning back against the couch I thought back to the night just a few weeks ago when I had first met Miss Mara Graham, my beautiful Tinkerbell.

M+B

Three Weeks ago – Omniscient Narrator's POV

Once it had been decided that Mara would join the Booths for dinner all three headed for Seeley's apartment. Parker held his Sprite and Seeley carried the 6 – well actually 3-pack of Guinness. "So, Park," Mara began, "what are you making us for dinner?"

Parker giggled. "No! I don't make dinner." With a wide smile his hugged his father's leg and said, "Daddy makes dinner!"

They had reached the door and Seeley unlocked and opened it. "Ok," Mara replied, "so what is Daddy making?"

"My favorite!" Parker said, running into the apartment. "Cheeseburgers and fries!"

"Ooh, those are my favorite, too!"

"Good," Seeley said with a smile, picking up Parker. " 'Cause Parker and I make the best burgers in the world, don't we Park?"

"Yup! The bestest!"

"How about dessert?" Mara asked.

"Um," Seeley said, "I hadn't planned anything."

"Shame!" Mara faux-scolded him. "You always need dessert."

"Hey, Daddy," Parker, who was still in his father's arms, whispered. Seeley leaned in closer and Parker said into his ear, "I like her."

Seeley and Mara laughed. "Ok," said Mara, "how 'bout I make dessert cause you guys are making dinner?"

Parker stuck his arms in the air and yelled, "Yeeaaaaa!"

Seeley laughed at Parker's exaggerated reaction and then turned to Mara. "Sounds good. What do you need?"

Mara thought about it and counted things off on her fingers. "Um, flour, butter, sugar, apples, and cinnamon."

"We have all that. Do you need any help finding anything?"

"Don't worry about it," Mara said. "You work on burgers, I can figure it out."

M+B

Ten minutes later, Mara and Seeley were working comfortably in the kitchen while Parker sat at the kitchen table removing leaves from a head of lettuce. Seeley peeled and chopped potatoes for his French fries as Mara searched around the kitchen for all that she needed. She found the drawer with the aprons and pulled out the first one she saw, it was black and when she unfolded it she saw blazoned on the front in bright white letters 'FBI: Female Body Inspector'.

Mara laughed out loud and held the apron up. "Very classy," she said.

Seeley turned around and smiled nervously. "It was a – um – gift."

With a wide smile on her face Mara wrapped it around her slim waist. "I like it. Every kitchen needs a little humor."

Seeley smiled and breathed a sigh of relief at her laid back attitude and went back to his potatoes.

M+B

An hour later the three of them tucked into their burgers and fires while dessert baked in the oven. Seeley made a toast to new neighbors and Parker toasted his cheeseburger. They were instant friends. The boys listened intently as Mara told them about her life in New York and the bakery she had co-owned. Mara was amazed to hear about Seeley's job and even more amazed by the 100 that Parker had recently gotten on his spelling test.

Just as they were finishing dinner the oven timer went off and Mara ran over to check on her dessert. She smiled; it was perfect. She pulled the cookie sheet out of the oven and set it down with a flourish. "TA-DA!"

Parker and Seeley eyed the mound of dough that was wrapped around the apples and cinnamon and Seeley asked, "What is it?"

Mara laughed. "It's a Apple Galette. It's kind of like an apple pie, but without the dish."

"Pie?" Seeley repeated, his eyes lighting up.

"Awesome!" Parker squealed. "Daddy and I love pie!"

The Galette was devoured with a little vanilla ice cream that Seeley had lying around and the three talked in the living room until Parker fell asleep in Seeley's arms. Parker was put to bed and Seeley walked Mara to her door. The pair exchanged numbers and after a somewhat awkward conversation, finally said goodnight.

M+B

Present time – SPOV

"I'm in such deep shit," Seeley said to himself. Just then his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw Hacker's name on the caller ID. Fuck. "This is Booth…..Yeah, that case was closed years ago…No…Dammit…..OK, I'll start on it first thing tomorrow….Yeah…..Thanks for the heads up…..Alright." *Click* "The shit just keeps gettin' deeper."


End file.
